Bonding
by RattyCatty
Summary: Henry goes on holiday with his mothers, hoping that the experience will bring them closer. Short, fluffy summer holiday Swan Queen oneshots.
1. Chapter 1

**I thought this could be cute to do. I have a massive weakness for hot, badass characters with fears of normal things and so this happened. The chapters in this story are really separate oneshots, but I thought I'd group them together as they're all holiday related. Enjoy!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Once Upon A Time. **

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As the plane roared to life, Regina gripped the cushioned chair arms either side of her, nails digging into the material, leaving small, crescent-shaped marks. The plane raced along the run away, shaking violently, and the Mayor unconsciously clenched her teeth so hard it began to hurt.

"Hey, Regina, you ok there?" Emma asked from the seat beside her, an eyebrow raised as she glanced down at the Mayor's iron grip on the arms.

"Just fine, Ms Swan," the older woman growled, eyes staring straight ahead. Of course Emma would pick this moment to apparently be concerned about her.

Henry had heard of his friends' adventures in other countries, and, upon hearing the stories, had realised he had yet to go on holiday. Regina was somewhat tied up in Mayoral business most of the time, and would not trust anyone else with the tough job of keeping the town in order. Emma's arrival to Storybrooke had changed things, however, and so Henry had suggested Emma take him somewhere if his adoptive mother could not.

Regina's fear of losing Henry to his biological mother greatly over-powered her fear of losing the town - she could live without control over Storybrooke, but could not live without Henry - and so she had eventually and reluctantly suggested they go as a family. This pleased their son even more, as he believed it would bring his mothers closer. Both women doubted it, though they agreed to try, for Henry's sake. A small part of Regina was a little attracted to the Sheriff, though she would never admit it, especially because her past relationships had ended so badly.

"You sure? I think the abused chair arms say otherwise," the blonde quipped, and the Mayor scowled, loosening her strong grip and laying her hands flat on her knees in an attempt to prove just how fine she was.

"Ms Swan, I don't care much what you think. Have you quite forgotten who is paying for this vacation?" Regina said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, instead replacing it with sharp annoyance. "I am fi-" her declaration of courage was cut short by a frightened yelp as the plane jerkily lifted off the ground, flying at an alarming angle. Regina's hands flew back to grasp the arms of the chair even tighter than before.

"Just fine, huh?" Emma asked. She figured she could get away with teasing the woman just a bit more, and this was an opportunity too good to pass up. She saw a mix of irritation and fear flash in Regina's eyes when they flicked to her before staring straight ahead once again. Sighing as she realised she'd gone too far, Emma held out a hand and murmured the woman's name.

Regina only stared bitterly ahead, clawing at the arms, doing her best to ignore the Sheriff's soft voice uttering her name.

"Regina? 'Gina, I'm sorry," she breathed apologetically, her eyebrows raised in worry.

Huffing, the Mayor gave in, turning to face the Sheriff, ready to give her hell, but instead pausing when she saw the worry on Emma's face and her outstretched hand.

"Regina? I am sorry," she apologised again, raising her outstretched hand, silently offering the woman some comfort. She hadn't meant to genuinely hurt Regina, only ignite some playful bickering.

The dark-haired woman sighed, a silent warning in her eyes as she reached out and took the blonde's hand, gripping it tightly as some particularly bad turbulence rocked the plane. "Just this once," she swore, both to herself and to Emma, as the Sheriff smoothed her thumb over the back of Regina's hand, not even complaining when the woman dug manicured nails into her soft flesh.

It wasn't just that once.


	2. Chapter 2

**I finally finished this chapter! I still haven't really figured out where in the series this story fits which is sloppy of me but I hope it makes some sense. Thank you for reading and feeding back, and I hope this doesn't disappoint.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

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Waves crashed and tumbled over each other, lapping at the damp sand and occasionally washing up smooth pebbles. The scent of salt hung in the air, and seagulls flew over head, cackling and screaming as they soared.

Regina Mills sat back in a deck chair on the sand, a book in her hand and a pair of expensive sunglasses sitting atop her head. The book had long since been abandoned, and the woman now watched her son and the blonde Sheriff dash about in the shallow water. Emma was just a big child in some ways, and it made Regina's lips curl into a smile.

The dark-haired boy barreled down the beach, splashing through the waves when they rolled in over the sand. He yelled something at the pursuing blonde, who shouted back before chasing after him even faster than before. They laughed as they ran, the picture of holiday happiness.

Once, such happiness might have made Regina turn away bitterly, angry that she couldn't find joy, jealous of those that could - maybe she still would have if it was anyone other than Henry and Emma; now she just smiled, slightly saddened that her son couldn't be that relaxed around her, but pleased he could be relaxed and happy, and had not followed her lead.

Catching up to her son, slightly deeper in the water now, Emma lunged to envelope him in a rough, playful hug, but he ducked out of her reach at the last second. The Sheriff fell forwards into the water with a loud splash, soaking her white tank top and denim shorts. She stood up, clothes dripping and heavy with water. She grinned widely, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm so gonna get you for that," she promised.

Henry grinned, no doubt about to come out with a witty comeback challenging Emma, when the blonde bent down and stuck her arms in the water, sweeping the cold liquid up into the air and all over her son. He yelped when the cold water hit him, somehow getting his clothes almost as wet as Emma's.

The two played in the water for a while more before finally trudging up the beach, sopping wet, to where the Mayor had parked herself. Regina couldn't stop her eyes from wandering over the Sheriff's toned body, more visible due to the wet clothes that clung to every curve, and the white top that had become extremely see-through; it showed off the blonde's plain bra and stomach muscles that rippled irresistibly as she moved. She hated Emma most of the time but, _God_, she was attractive.

"Hey, mom!" Henry said gleefully.

Regina quickly took her eyes off the boy's other mother, hoping her arousal wasn't obvious, and smiled at her son. "Hi, Henry," she greeted happily. "Emma," she added with a nod in the woman's direction, forcing the friendly smile to remain on her face. "Are you having a good time?" the dark-haired woman asked Henry.

He nodded enthusiastically. "The best!" the boy exclaimed, making excited gestures with his small hands.

"What have you been up to?" Regina asked animatedly, only looking away to open the picnic basket that sat beside her. She put it in the middle of blanket laid out on the sand, making a gesture that said, 'help yourselves'.

Emma plopped down on the soft blanket, sensing Henry was going into story-telling mode, and helped herself to a triangular sandwich from the wicker basket. Her eyes moved between her ecstatic son and his adoptive mother, watching as he explained everything that had happened with a wide grin on his face to the dark-haired woman who paid close attention, apparently enraptured.

The woman who once went by 'The Evil Queen' gazed up at Henry, eyes hazy with adoration and pride, lips parted in a perfect smile. She listened intently, occasionally making the appropriate approving sounds and prompting further conversation. In the warm, exotic sun, Regina's skin seemed to glow in a way it didn't when they were back in Storybrooke, surrounded by people who only thought of the Mayor as what she had once been, and a threat, something to fight against.

The Sheriff thought it was terribly unfair how everyone only saw the defensive, snarky side of the dark-haired woman. Yes, she had done horrible things, and, no, that was _not _something to be taken lightly, but the woman was more than hatred, bitterness and bitchy remarks; this cheerful, loving side of her was rarely seen, but _it was there._ It was there, as was the part of Regina that was willing to fight for redemption, to separate herself from the Evil Queen and become a hero, even if it was just for her son.

A small smile spread across the blonde's face as she watched the two, tucking into the sandwich she realised she hadn't started, too busy staring in awe at the mother of her son. Hazel eyes ran over the rest of the woman's body; silky hair that fell in all the right ways; smooth, unblemished skin; dark, chocolate coloured eyes gleaming with affection for their son; womanly curves in all the right places, hugged by the luxurious fabric of a dress that surely wasn't practical for a beach. Regina's body was surprisingly toned, considering her job had her sitting behind a desk for ten years. Emma found herself wondering if the woman worked out, imagining it in an absurd amount of detail and suddenly very aware of how revealed she herself was after splashing about in the cool water.

As if reading her mind, Regina's eyes left their son for a second and swept over the Sheriff's strapping form. Emma's mouth went dry as she swore she saw the dark-haired woman's pink tongue peek out to wet painted lips and a flicker of something other than love or hate in her eyes. Before the blonde could be sure, however, Regina had averted her eyes and turned back to her son with a sparkling smile on her face.

"Sounds like you had quite the day with -" Regina paused for a second and tried to gulp inconspicuously, arousal still burning inside her from checking Emma out again. "- Emma," she forced out, a politician's smile on her face as she turned to the blonde and gave her a small, almost respectful nod. The Mayor cringed internally at how off her voice sounded as she strained to sound normal and respectful rather than sensual and turned on. She wondered absently whether she would have made as much of an effort to hide her lust if it were just the two of them, and something in the back of her mind told her she wouldn't have.

Maybe she would have let her arousal seep into her voice, low and raspy, and leaned closer to the blonde woman, close enough to smell her, close enough for her tongue to snake out and taste her. It would send shivers down the Sheriff's spine and it would turn out that Emma wanted Regina as much as Regina wanted her. Then the Mayor would lean in and take what she wanted; dominating the blonde, touching all the soft skin, running her hands over taut muscles, making her lose control. She imagined it would be rough between them, all fire, frustration and passion, all the anger that had been between them pouring out to create explosive pleasure and sensations that would over-stimulate them both.

Regina had to bite her tongue to contain the groan that threatened to roll off her tongue due to the scenarios floating around inside her head. No, for now, she would have to make do with being friends with the Sheriff and take advantage of any chances she got to gaze at Emma's fine form; they had a child to care for together.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm a sucker for OTPs in awkward, compromising situations. I'm sorry. Here's Swan Queen in a slightly awkward, compromising situation because why not? Emma's being a baby about sunburn, and Regina helps her just to get her to _shut the hell up_.  
**

**I'm running out of ideas, so please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see. **

**Also, thank you so much for all the follows. I hope this satisfies. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

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"Owww."

Regina sighed irritably. Emma had been whining on and off for most of the evening. When their son had gone to bed, she'd quieted down slightly so as not to wake him, but nothing had completely stopped her incessant whingeing.

"Miss Swan, did I not say that you would burn yourself if you didn't put sun cream on?" Regina grumbled, setting her book down on her lap. For the moment, she resided on her bed in their shared hotel room. Neither had been able to decide who would share a room with Henry and who would sleep alone, so Henry himself had decided they would share together if they could not come to a decision like adults. "It will give you a chance to work out your differences," he had said.

Of course, both women despised this plan, but at least it meant neither was abandoned whilst the other got to spend precious time with their son.

"Are you seriously 'I told you so'-ing me right now?" the Sheriff moaned in disbelief. "I'm in pain and all you can say is, 'I told you so'?"

The brunette smirked and shrugged. Did Emma expect _sympathy _from her?

The Sheriff's eyes narrowed. Regina went back to reading her book, yet Emma still glowered at her from across the room.

Minutes passed, and the women stayed that way, the Mayor calm and unshakeable, and the Saviour well and truly pissed off.

At last, Regina huffed a sigh and put her book down again. "Go to the bathroom and take your shirt off," she ordered. Her voice was full of authority, but the Mayor knew she'd lost this battle by giving in like this.

Emma's eyes were wide as she stared for a minute. _What the hell was Regina doing?_ Shaking her head, she sprang into action. Regina Mills wanted her shirtless, and she was more than happy to comply.

Once in the bathroom and free of her tank top, she stood and waited for the older woman. Emma began to wonder if the ex-Evil Queen had just said that to get her out of the way and was actually just going to leave her hanging. There was no sign of her.

Just as the blonde was ready to pull her top on again and angrily confront the mother of her son, Regina glided in, a pale blue bottle in her hands.

The Sheriff just stood in the middle of the bathroom, feeling confused and slightly vulnerable. She wasn't shy about her body by any means, but the brunette had a way of making her feel like no one else had before.

"What's that?" Emma asked, staring at the bottle.

"Aftersun," Regina said shortly. "Turn around."

The blonde obeyed, turning so her back was to the Mayor. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Regina squeeze some gel onto her own hand before stepping towards her.

Emma inhaled quickly as she felt the ice cold gel come into contact with the scorched skin of her back. The brunette began rubbing the gel in, and the Saviour couldn't contain her pained whimper. The movement tugged at the tender skin, pulling it this way and that. It felt as if her skin was cracking into tiny pieces, and she cringed violently. _What a gross thought. _

"It hurts," she mumbled weakly.

"Not for long," Regina murmured soothingly. Her voice was softer than Emma was used to, as soft as when the brunette spoke to her son. It was odd to hear directed at anyone but the young boy, but pleasant.

She was right. Quickly, the cooling effects of the aftersun over-powered the pain, and Emma relaxed into the touch of the other woman. The icy cool of the gel leached into her skin, dulling the angry heat until it was just an annoying niggle at the back of her mind. The blonde moaned appreciatively, tilting her head slightly to allow Regina better access to the sore skin of her neck.

Regina swallowed as an ache grew between her legs in response to the woman's throaty groan, and, for a moment, she pictured Emma groaning and tilting her head for a completely different reason. She was suddenly glad that the blonde was facing away from her - her deep blush went unseen.

The Mayor quickly shoved the fantasy to the back of her mind, focusing on lathering the refreshing gel over every inch of burnt skin. Maybe if Emma wasn't whining, they could both get some sleep tonight.

Emma was lost in the feeling of Regina's hands moving over her neck, back and shoulders, massaging the skin, untying knots in tight muscles, rubbing the aftersun into every pore. God, she could get used to this. "God, 'Gina, that feels so good," she drawled, not completely aware of what she was saying.

"Maybe you can stop whining now then," Regina said, ceasing her ministrations and moving to the sink to wash off the excess gel on her hands. Emma's reverie broke, and she spun around to face the smirking brunette.

"You didn't need to stop!" she protested, yearning for the woman's soft hands on her skin once more.

"Do you have more burns for me to tend to, Miss Swan, or do you just like me touching you for prolonged amounts of time?" the Mayor asked smugly. Either Regina won this battle, or she got a confession out of the Sheriff: it was a win-win situation. _I'm good, _she thought to herself.

The blonde opened and closed her mouth like a fish, at loss for words. She really _did _like Regina touching her, but if she said that, she would surely get thrown out on her ass and have to spend the night in the hallway.

Regina simpered before turning and heading back to the main room. She returned to her place on her bed and resumed her book, while Emma stood speechless, confused and half-undressed in the middle of the bathroom.


End file.
